1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a method and apparatus for lighting design and more particularly, to a computerized method and apparatus for designing a lamp, lens, and mirror, such that a desired pattern and intensity of light is cooperatively generated by these designed lighting components.
2. Discussion
Lighting systems are used to generate or produce a desired pattern and intensity of light, consistent with a specific application that the systems are used within. One such application involves the use of these lighting systems upon an automobile. Examples of such automobile lighting systems include headlights, tail-lights, and turn lights.
While each of these automobile lighting systems is somewhat similar in that they each generally employ a lamp, lens, and mirror, they do so in a variety of ways consistent with the desired pattern and intensity of light desired to be radiated by each of these systems. For example, in a typical headlight system, very high intensity light is produced within an angular pattern having a very large horizontal area, but a very compact vertical range. In this manner, the produced light does not shine directly into an approaching vehicle driver's eyes, yet effectively allows the automobile driver to view the surface of the road that the vehicle is travelling upon. In contrast, a turn signal lighting system is usually made to radiate a relatively low intensity light, having a pattern defining a very compact horizontal and vertical range sufficient to enable the driver to view only a rather limited portion of the road, alongside the turning vehicle. Each of these different automobile lighting systems therefore requires different component configurations, consistent with the intensity and pattern of the desired generated light.
In the past, each of these lighting systems was usually designed through a "trial and error" approach, which required a number of prototype systems to be actually built and tested in order to view the effect of various component changes, upon the pattern and intensity of the produced light. This "trial and error" approach was very inefficient; costly; and time consuming thereby, unnecessarily increasing the overall costs associated with each of these designed lighting systems.